


A Hug

by orphan_account



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, At one point, Delusional Shane Madej, Gen, I had, I have an answer as to who, M/M, More platonic than romantic but can be taken either way, Someone is infected, When i wrote the first word, and then five days later i continued where i left off on word one and i had nothing, i have no direction, idk i just wanted to angst myself to death, if i feel like it i might write one from ryans point of view which will answer, lil mystery, so feel free to interpret, the only clue you'll get, who is infected
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 01:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “We need to keep moving,” Shane grunted. “C’mon, Ryan,” he urged, pulling the shorter man’s arm forward, his boots trudging through the bushes. Behind him, Ryan seemed to stumble every few steps as though his head was still stuck back in the sudden ambush from earlier, eyes distant.The ghoul boys are all alone in the woods in a zombie apocalypse. One of them is delusional, and either can be infected.





	A Hug

**Author's Note:**

> Read the tags; it'll explain away the plotholes. I'm major procrastinating rn. Help me.

“We need to keep moving,” Shane grunted. “C’mon, Ryan,” he urged, pulling the shorter man’s arm forward, his boots trudging through the bushes. Behind him, Ryan seemed to stumble every few steps as though his head was still stuck back in the sudden ambush from earlier, eyes distant.

‘Fuck,’ Shane thought, gritting his teeth. He knew they should’ve waited out the dawn just a little further instead of risking a run-in in the forest. Sure, their rations had been low, but it wasn’t worth trekking back to the suburbs in search of food. Not when daylight hadn’t yet fully entombed the land and the walkers hanging around would still be capable of quick movements rather than stumble about sluggish and blind. 

They were fools. Now they’ve lost more than they’ll gain. They were honest to god, fucking fools. Two cans of beans and a few missed water bottles wasn’t worth all this trouble.

He had to get them back to the cabin.

Above, the morning sun bore down on their faces faintly and the morning dew of the forest coated the grass. Had it not been a post-apocalyptic world, this place would’ve made the perfect camping spot. 

And as faint and relieving as it was, the sun also sent irritation down Shane’s spine, its warmth spilling a trucks worth of itching under his skin and its light making him squint unbearably.. Ryan seemed to relax with it, though, his arm feeling limper and more cooperative in Shane’s grip rather than like a pet he had to drag around. Mayhaps Ryan was just more well adjusted after all this time they’ve spent hiding away, and Shane was just not faring well since he began, more and more, trying to ignore it. Nothing like before.

Before,’ Shane’s mind whispered. Before, back when walkers or zombies or whatever the fuck the media wanted to call them became a global epidemic, an issue that sent the public into a frenzy and crumbled society.

Eventually, they made it back. Back to the hidden log cabin that’s sheltered them from night to night after the collapse of Los Angeles, after they had to escape the city in all of its burning, infected glory with as many of their friends and family that they could keep with them. Sara, Quinta, Eugene, a few other stragglers, and Jake and his and Ryan’s mom, the trio of them constantly grieving their own personal loss, then. 

They were a mess, but they were surviving. But that was months ago. And now? It was only Shane and Ryan left.

Shane wanted to sob. This wasn’t how they’d promise themselves things would turn out. He still didn’t even know what went wrong: it took one night for all their promises to burn to ashes and since then, he and Ryan had to make do with themselves. Remembering just hurt his head and filled him with sorrow, but there was no more time to cry. They had to keep going forward. 

Sometimes, he looks at Ryan and his tired, hazy and downturned eyes in a constant imitation of crying and wonders if they would’ve been better off dead together that night. Other times, he feels like it’s only one of them around anymore what with Ryan so docile and out of it. Who can he blame, really? The little guy was never really cut out for fighting, and, geez, his best friend’s been in a constant state of shock since that night and he feels so bad making jokes about his height like nothing’s wrong.

Slowly, he walked Ryan through the cabin as he’s done many nights before, guiding him to the bedroom where he’d probably end up sobbing his heart out again like he’s done many times before, often ignoring his body’s needs. Like eating. A lot of the time, it made Shane wince, seeing his usually motivated friend physically and emotionally deteriorating. Many times, he’s thought that his crying was getting quieter and quieter by the day.

Only in the recent month, he’d started finding the claw marks decorating his best friend’s arms, the bloody nails hidden but not hiding the claw marks adorning the bedroom door. He regretted having to do it, but he began tie him up. It was for his own good. And on some days, he’d lock himself away before Shane could get to him, even when Shane begged him to come out and eat. It often had him on edge, but it made him happy seeing him come out without any new marks, and it made him laugh to see Ryan try to act so sneaky and stumble when he’d catch him and just had to feel up his arms in reassurance. Reassurance that he still had his best friend here with him. He could never resist the warmth in his hugs either, and it made him so fucking sorry when Ryan would start crying into his shirt while they hugged. 

It made him want to go up to Ryan and hug him again, reassurance that they were still alive, that they’ve been surviving. Except he couldn’t, because he’d already fled inside the room and locked the door. He’s gotten faster at that as of recent, but he can’t be mad if his pal wanted alone time. It just made him a tad bit sad he couldn’t trust himself to stay with him for comfort. Not anymore, at least. It’s no longer like their ghost hunting treks after all. 

Shane smiled sadly, lost in his thoughts.

When arms suddenly slithered around his neck in imitation of a hug, he startled a bit, but welcomed Ryan’s familiar warmth before turning around to gre-

* * *

A scream would tear through the woods soon after, disrupting the peace. After, a heavy blanket of silence would fall over the forest, staying long after the two men inhabiting it fell still, embracing each other one last time.


End file.
